The European Union (EU) Agroforestry Skills for Employment and Resilience in Timor-Leste (EU Agroforestry-Skills Programme) seeks to promote green and sustainable economic diversification and resilience in Timor-Leste through private sector development, technical and vocational education training (TVET) for youth integration in the labour market. The project is fully financed by the EU.
Carried out over 48 months, the Programme will contribute to the diversification of the Timorese economy, youth employment and strengthening of rural TVET. The entry point is through private sector development, namely by tapping into the potential of the agroforestry sector.
One of the priorities of the Government of Timor-Leste is to diversify the economy, giving special focus to Agroforestry private sector development. This involves enhancing the small and medium enterprises sector, while also removing some of the binding constraints to private sector growth and improving infrastructure, increasing efficiency in the public sector, facilitating credit, and the building up of skilled labour.
A lack of skilled workers and high youth unemployment, particularly of young women, are major development challenges. The Agroforestry-Skills Programme aims to increase quality employment and entrepreneurship opportunities in the agroforestry sector through skills and private sector development, for youth, particularly young women and girls, while promoting a green and circular economy.
The Programme will facilitate skills provision in TVET to be more closely aligned with the needs of the local rural economy of the target geographies, supported by improved capacity of trainers and training institutions and greater participation of industry and the private sector. These factors are critical for ensuring that TVET programmes are producing graduates with the skills that employers in the area are seeking and/or local entrepreneurship capabilities are enhanced. Description of Duties: Programme management:
Ensure effective implementation of the EU Agroforestry-Skills Programme through timely provision of inputs, timely and efficient delivery of outputs, and planning, control, monitoring and evaluation of the Programme activities, in conformity with ILO policies and Programme strategies, and in accordance with ILO programming guidelines and country/action programs, and administrative and financial procedures in consultation with the responsible field office if applicable.
Responsible for the effective management of funds/budget assigned to the Programme.
Manage efficiently the human resources of the Programme, including recruitment, performance and talent management aspects.
Responsible for preparation and submission of progress reports, and other technical reports.
Serve as the focal person for the EU and serve as the representative for the Programme at various development forums in or on behalf Timor-Leste, or on behalf of the Programme in Timor-Leste as relevant.
Ensure coordination with other relevant projects/programmes in the country and overall integration and coordination of related development cooperations to increase synergies, effectiveness and impact of the Programme.
Technical leadership and advice:
Provide strategic direction and guidance for the team across all four programme outputs of the programme, leading key activities such as the development of international and other exchange co-operation activities; development of an Institutional Management Improvement Programme (IMIP); and the development of digital tools to support career guidance and skills matching.
Provide secretariat and technical support to relevant government agencies and other key institutions, in undertaking their advisory responsibilities under the Programme.
Advocacy, networking and partnership:
Strengthen relationship to cooperate and coordinate with key implementing partners, including the Coordinating Ministry of Economic Affairs (MCAE), Secretariat of State for Vocational Training and Employment (SEFOPE), National Institute of Labour Force Development (INDMO), and the Ministry of Trade, Commerce and Industry, and Trade Invest and relevant target Training Centers, as well as other groups of stakeholders, such as Chamber of Commerce and Industry Timor-Leste (CCI-TL), Timor-Leste Trade Union Confederation (KSTL) and the UN System as well as non-governmental organizations, the target groups, in the planning and implementation of activities under the Programme.
Liaise with other UN agencies counterparts to increase the Programme's visibility and facilitate the scaling-up of the Programme's interventions. Advocate ILO’s core mandate and decent work for all.
Participate in relevant technical international and national seminars/conferences including development partners’ meetings as and when required.
Participate in internal and external Programme reviews, meetings of steering committees, donor meetings, evaluations and monitoring missions, as and when required.
Knowledge management:
Write and disseminate information materials on the EU Agroforestry-Skills Programme in close collaboration with other relevant technical specialists at the HQ.
Ensure the development of information systems covering ILO technical activities covered by the Programme, prepare periodic and ad hoc reports on EU Agroforestry-Skills Programme’s progress, constraints and achievements. Establish coordination with concerned ILO departments and programs.
Identify training needs and organize training workshops and meetings for the tripartite partners, NGOs, other agencies, target groups and staff as appropriate to reinforce the professional capabilities.
Organize meetings and seminars and develop knowledge sharing tools designed to forge partnerships and share good practices with the main stakeholders of the Programme.
Participate in review and evaluation missions, conduct seminars, workshops, and technical meetings, and provide inputs in writing manuals and training guidelines on relevant topics.
Any other duties requested by the responsible Country Director for Indonesia and Timor Leste.
Required qualifications: Education:
Advanced university degree in economics, education, skills or TVET system development, social sciences, development studies or a related discipline with demonstrated expertise in institutional development and capacity building. Studies including agroforestry will be desirable but not essential.
Experience: Essential Experience:
Minimum of ten years’ experience (of which at least seven years at an international level) in managing employment and training programmes in challenging environments.
Delivering programmes in collaboration with governments of developing countries, with local representatives of donor agencies, and heterogeneous teams composed of consultants, experts, and local collaborators of different educational and cultural background.
Development or contribution to development of national or regional skills policies, strategies or regulations.
Desirable Experience:
Conducting value chain, industry foresight, and/or skills mismatch analyses.
Development of competency standards, national skills policies and/or industry-led capacity building and curriculum development in TVET institutions
Working in skills development for a transition to a green or circular economy
Familiarity with the ILO and its work with tripartite stakeholders.
Languages:
Fluency in English is essential. A working knowledge of Tetun, Portuguese or Bahasa Indonesia would be an asset.
